Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-05-31
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,H.HiStorz- of :Hd2ehture
By J. RIDER HAGaARD.

However, could do nothing for him, 70
we had all already taken good dose o
quinine which was tho only preventive w
had; so lay and watched the stars come on
by thousands till all the immense arch o
heaven was sown with glittering points ant
every point world. Here was gloriou
sight, by which man might well measure hi
own insgnifcancel Soon gave up thinking
about it, for the mind wearies easily when II
strives TO grapple with the infinite, or to trace
the footsteps of the Almighty as he strides
from sphere to sphere, or deduce his purpose
from his works
Above me, as lay, shone the eternal stars,
and there at my feet the impish marsh born
balls Of fire rolled this way and that, vapor
tossed and earth desiring, and methought
that in tho two saw type and image OF
what man is, and what perchance man may
one day be, If the living force that ordained
him and them should so ordain this also. Oh,
that it might DO ours TO rest year by year
upon that high level Of the heart TO which at
times We momentarily attainl Oh, that we
could shake loose tho prisoned pinions of the
soul and soar TO that superior point whence,
like to some traveller looking out through
space from Darien's giddiest peak, we might
gaze with the spirit eyes Of noble thoughts
deep into inhnityl
What would II be 10 cast off this earthly
robe, to have done forever with these earthly
thoughts and miserable desires; no longer,
like those corpse candles, 10 be tossed this
way and that by forces far beyond our con-
troll, or, IL we can theoretically control them,
are yet driven by the exigenoies OF our ma
ture 10 obey Yes, to cast them Off, 10 have
done with the foul and thorny places of the
world, and, like to those gllttering points
above ina b sit on high wrapped forever In Tho
brightness OF our better selves, that even now
shines IN us as FIRE family shines within those
lurid balls and lay down our littleness In that
wide glory Of our dreams, that invisible but
surrounding good from which all truth and
beauty comesl
These and many such thoughts passed
through my mind that night. They come to
torment us all at times. say to torment, for
alasl thinking can only serve TO measure out
tho helplessness Of thought What Is the use
Of our feeble crying in tho awful silence OF
spaced Can our dim intelligence read tho
secrets OF that star strewn SKYE Does any
answer como out Of III Never any at all;
nothing but echoes and fantastic visions.
And yet we believe that there is an answer,
and that upon o time new dawn will come |
blushing down the ways of our enduring |
night. We believe II, for its reflected beauty |
oven now shines up continually in our hearts |
from beneath the horizon Of the grave, and |
we call 1t hope. Without hope we should
suffer moral death, and by the help OF hope
we may yet climb TO heaven; or, at the worst, |
IL she also prove but kindly mockery given |
to hold us from despair, be gently lowered |
into the abysses of eternal sleep.
Then fell to rejecting upon the undertake
ing on which we were bent, and what wild
one it was, and yet how strangely the story
seemed to fit in with what had been written
centuries ago upon the sherd. Who was this
extraordinary woman, queen over people
apparently as extraordinary as herself and
rcigning amidst the vestiges of lost civilza-
toni And what could be the meaning Of this
story Of the fire that gave unending lifei
Could 1t DO possible that any fluid or essence
could exist that could so fortify these fleshly
walls that they should from ago 10 age resist
the mines and gatherings Of decay It was
possible, though not probable. The indefinite
continuation Of life would not, after all, be
half so marvellous a thing as the production
of life and its temporary endurance And IL
1t were true, what theni The person who
found it could no doubt rule tho world He
could accumulate all the wealth In the world,
and all the power, and all tho wisdom that is
power. He might give q lifetime to the study
Of each art or science. Well IL that were so,
and this she were practically immortal, which
did not for one moment believe, how was it
that, with all these things at her feet, she pre-
ferred to remain in a cave among society
OF cannibalsl That surely settled tho ques-
tion. Tho whole story was monstrous, and
only worthy OF the superstitious days in which
1t was written. At any rate was very sure
that would not attempt TO attain unending
life. | had had far too many worries and
and secret bitternesses during
my forty odd years OF existence TO wish that
this state of affairs should DO continued in
definitely. And yet l suppose that my life
has been, comparatively speaking, happy
one.
And then, rejecting that at the present
there was far moro likelihood of our
earthly careers being cut exceedingly short ,
than of their being unduly prolonged, at
last managed to get to sleep, fact for which !
anybody who reads this narrative, il any
body ever does, may very probably be thank
full.
When woke again IL was just dawning,
md the guard and bearers were moving :
about like ghosts through the dense morning
nists, getting ready for our start. The fire
iad died quite down, and Iroso and stretched
myself, shivering in every limb from tho .
lamp cold of the dawn Then looked at /.
Ieo. Ito WINS sitting up, holding his hands TO
lis head and l saw that his face WINS flushed
md his oyc bright and yot yellow around the
,upil
"Well, Leo" said, show do you feeliD
u feel as though were going to die" he
answered, hoarsely. My head isspltting, my
,ody Is trembling, and am sick asa cat.H
whisilei, oi II did not whistle, felt liz
lined to. Leo had got sharp attack Of {
ever. went TO Job, and asked him for tho {
uininc, OF which, fortunately, wo had still |
God supply, only to find that Job himself
ms not much better. He complained of q
aims across the back and dizziness, and was s
lmost incapable Of helping himself Then !
id tho only thing 1t was possible 70 do under
10 circumstances, gave them both about ten G
rains of quinine, and took slightly smaller {
ose myself as a matter Of pnecaution. After
rat i found Billali, and explained 10 him
ow matters stood, asking, at tho same time, /
hat had best be done. He came with me
nd looked at Leo and job lwhom,by the I
tness, round face and small eyes)
"Ah," he said, when we were out of ear II
lot, "tho fever thought So The Lion b
IS it badly; but ho is young, and no may "
re. As for the Pig, his attack is not so bad; 81
Is the little fever that he has; that always cI
gins with pains across the back; II will "
and itself upon his fat" "
"Cen they 30 on, my fatherP' asked W
NTnx AZ
op here they viii certainly die; and, beside, u
icy will be better In tho filters than on tho IN
'ound By tonight, II oil goes well, wc q
AL be across the marsh and In good air. I'll
ONE, let us lift them into tho filters and
art, for Il Is very bad TO stand still in this "
orning fog We can cat our morning meal nc
we go.n az
This We accordingly did, and with heavy III
art once more set out upon our strange Ga
irney' For the FIRST three hours ali won't 'l